# Extreme Intolerant Skin



## indiegirl (May 18, 2011)

I have extreme sensitive skin. Most products I try on face and or body I find my skin reacts. I flush (red) very easy and find trying to  achieve a tan a painful experience. Do I have rosacea? No. I've gone to the derm and was diagnosed with sensitive skin. My derm counteracts my redness as a result of products that do not agree with my skin. ( I paid how much for that diagnosis?$$) Anyway...I've achieved a balance with so so skin care products. At their best they do their job. Unfortunately, they don't result with my problematic skin getting better, just maintaining. Still red,dry,flaky,skin. Not to mention aging. I'm seeing my first signs of sun abuse from my teenage years showing up on my skin. Discoloration and fine lines around my eyes. Yikes! My question is this, Has anyone tried "AVENE" products? Specifically Avene Tolerance Extreme Anti-Irritating Soothing Cream. Reviews please if you have. I'd like to order this but have reservations because of my fragile skin. Also any other recommendations would be great!


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## janetgriselle (May 18, 2011)

My skin is really sensitive too, I don't know what it is about most skin care items, but they make me break out like crazy. I've tried MAC, Clinique, Korres even some of the drugstore brands like Garnier, Burt's Bees and Olay and I've finally started to find foundation and facial cleansers that work. This has taken years though.

For my facial cleanser I use Cetaphil in the morning and at night. Burt's Bees facial cleanser works good too. I also use the Cetaphil moisturizer. Is there anything else you're interested in, foundations maybe? I know what it's like to have bad skin. I've been fighting acne/sensitive skin for way too long.


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## indiegirl (May 18, 2011)

Thank You for your suggestions! It's not easy being so sensitive! I as well use Cetaphil. I use the Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion in the pm if my skin is very,very, dry. My biggest problem with this product: greasy. I can't stand the way it leaves a film/residue on my skin. It is just setting on the surface. Not hurting nor is it helping. I did however find my perfect cleanse that works fantastic on my skin. I use CerAve gentle cleanser. Love. Their lotions have a tendency to break me out in my t-zone. The cleanser I highly recommend. As for foundations I'm set. I've been using http://hellominerals.com/ for over 2 years. That makeup was a lifesaver. I'd pretty much given up on wearing makeup(foundation/blush/bronzer) until I found this little gem. Nothing but praise for this company. Now if i could just find a moisturizer that could actually help and heal without a reaction I might be set!


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## indiegirl (May 18, 2011)

Well, Avene has already achieved high marks and I haven't even tried it yet! I shot their customer service an email asking for a sample. They quickly responded to my sample request which I should receive soon. Samples are a girls best friend when your skin is reactive. Yay!


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## Andi (May 18, 2011)

_These tiny tubes, which contain a mundane mix of mineral oil, plant oil, and thickeners, is an option for dry, sensitive skin; but on the other hand, your skin deserves so much more. The formula is fragrance- and preservative-free, which is helpful, but to be truly beneficial it should contain state-of-the-art ingredients that restore skinâ€™s barrier, including antioxidants, anti-irritants, and skin-identical ingredients. If a less-is-more approach is your idea of skin care, this fits the bill. Tolerance Extreme Soothing Cream is an option, albeit an unexciting one, if your skin is dry and extremely sensitive to most moisturizers._

^ thatÂ´s the review on the Avene product you mentionted from beautypedia.com. I highly recommend this website, you can get a review of the ingredients in a certain product before you actually buy it.

I donÂ´t have sensitive skin myself so I couldnÂ´t recommend any products. Actually, recommending products to someone else is a tough thing, because skincare needs to be very personalized if you have sensitive skin. So rather than listening to peopleÂ´s recommendations (because besides universally irritating ingredients, there are ingredients that not everybody is sensitive towards), IÂ´d look for the right ingredients in products: soothing agents (aloe, chamomile), fatty acids to restore the skinÂ´s natural barrier, physical sunblocks instead of chemical ones etc etc. Often enough, products labelled "for sensitive skin" donÂ´t deserve that label

I have also read (in an interview with a dermatologist) about Vitamin E capsules taken internally for with dry, sensitive, inflamed skin. It seems to help calm down the inflammation in the skin and restore the skinÂ´s barrier.


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## magosienne (May 18, 2011)

Avene is a good brand, yes, although i'm pretty sure i didn't try that specific moisturizer. I haven't had any reaction with Korres, i tried their thyme honey moisturizer and it's soothing for me.

I also recommend Themis and Lavera basis sensitiv (organic brands), i tried their moisturizer and it's very good, their lipbalm is also a favorite of mine.

For the face, try floral water like chamomile or rose, i found it's the less aggressive product you can use to clean your face. I use the oil cleansing method, a blend of grapeseed and ricebran oils, when i need to remove makeup or if my face really need the extra cleaning, it's quite good. Try creamy products in general, or milks. The Vichy 3 in 1 cleanser in a tube is also very good


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## indiegirl (May 18, 2011)

Thanks for not recommending but recommending.? I know what works and know very well what does not work on my skin. I guess my question was not clear? I asked for recommendations on products targeted towards sensitive skin care and/or a review on Avene's lotion as I stated above. I'm very capable of deciphering ingredient pro's and con's for my sensitive skin care needs. I'm very well informed on our lack of FDA guidelines/recommendations when it comes to "cosmetic" profiling. My genius question was based on a review and or product lines that yet I have to come across or been informed. My concern is that MUT was created for such reviews and/or questions.? Thank you for your non-recommendations. Very Tart!


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## Andi (May 19, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *indiegirl* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Thanks for not recommending but recommending.? I know what works and know very well what does not work on my skin. I guess my question was not clear? I asked for recommendations on products targeted towards sensitive skin care and/or a review on Avene's lotion as I stated above. I'm very capable of deciphering ingredient pro's and con's for my sensitive skin care needs. I'm very well informed on our lack of FDA guidelines/recommendations when it comes to "cosmetic" profiling. My genius question was based on a review and or product lines that yet I have to come across or been informed. My concern is that MUT was created for such reviews and/or questions.? Thank you for your non-recommendations. Very Tart!


well, I provided a review (not a personal one, since I donÂ´t have sensitive skin), didnÂ´t I?

If you know very well what works and doesnÂ´t work for your skin, why do you need other peopleÂ´s reviews then? I think skincare is such a personal thing, so what works great for one person could cause somebody elseÂ´s skin to react? I thought thatÂ´s even more so the case with sensitive skin!

Sorry for pissing you off


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## indiegirl (May 19, 2011)

No worries. Emails at times are hard to decipher. Thank you very much for your review. It was very informative. You are correct, sensitive skin is very reactive. I guess knowing what ingredients cause reactions is a bonus- my confusion is the listing. I was under the impression depending where that ingredient falls in the list can or cannot benefit/react to skin. Meaning is it in the middle, last, etc. I'm just trying to broaden my selection choices other than the same familiar choices I've been boxed into using. My apologies.


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## Maris Crane (May 19, 2011)

I'm a HUGE fan of Avene. I too, have sensitive, ruddyness-prone skin, but from what I've gotten from my derm and GP, I do not have (or have not been Dx with Rosacea.) I'm also a big fan of Bioderma's Sensibio (or Crealine in the EU) range, as well as La Roche Posay's stuff for sensitive/dry skins. Anywho, I have not tried the Avene cream you've mentioned, but I've been very impressed with the Thermal Water Spray, Extra Gentle No-Rinse Cleanser for Intolerant Skin (very similar texture to Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser for Normal to Dry skin, but IMHO, more effective and equally gentle), Cicalfate (bests LRP's Cicaplast), Rich Compensating Cream, the Gentle Toner for Dry/Very Dry Skin, and Gentle Exfoliating Scrub. The only things I have yet to be impressed by from Avene's drier skin recommendations are the Cream Cleanser, and the green tinted SPF25 moisturizer (great if you want to look like Bruce Banner.) I've found Bioderma's Sensibio AR Anti-Rougeurs Cream, and Murad's Sensitivity Serum for Redness-Prone Skin to be the best things I've found for combatting redness. Both are also quite hydrating, though, so I'm not sure how well they'd work for combo/oilier skins, but they're great for my skin. While I do love LRP, Avene, and Bioderma's ranges, there are products from organic (Caudalie), pharmaceutical (Dermalogica), drugstore (Nivea, Cetaphil, Nip + Fab) and department store (Lancome, Shiseido), lines I really like. If you have any questions, feel free to ask  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Unfortunately, a lot of it is trial-and-error.


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## indiegirl (May 20, 2011)

Thank you Maris Crane! So many product brands that I've yet to hear of! I thought I researched the majority of brands targeted for sensitive/red skin! Again, Thank You! I'm eager to try the Thermal Spring Water Spray and the Cicalfate by Avene. Both got great reviews and look promising. Question about the Cicalfate. Do you use everyday as a cream or only as needed? Could you use it everyday? I read from Avene's  website that it was targeted more for healing/wound care. Trial and error-exactly! So glad they offered to give me samples.


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## magosienne (May 20, 2011)

The water spray is good, you can also get LRP, both are thermal waters so it's up to you which one you like. Typically, at home, my mother has Avene, and i have LRP or Bioderma. I also agree about the gentle exfoliating scrub from Avene. My mother had the anti redness line until recently as she has rosacea, but they weren't doing anything on the long term for her. She tried Crealine samples, she didn't have a reaction per se, but her skin felt uncomfortable after trying the samples so she didn't buy anything from that line.

From La Roche Posay, i tried mostly their moisturizers, Hydraphase Intense (light version mostly, i have a combination skin) which is for dehydrated skins, Effaclar when i had acne, and i tried samples of Hydreane. All of them were good for my skin, but i wanted to look elsewhere. I don't recommend their Lipikar line though, doesn't do much for dryness. I am also a dutiful user of their sunscreen line as i've found that's the best for my skin.

I also tried the Rosaliac makeup remover in a pump bottle (it's a gel), i'm not sure it's still sold, it was good overall but i did get a separate remover for the eyes. It may be going off topic but just in case, LRP's shampoo is good, but nothing extraordinary and in my country i thought this so-so result didn't justify its price.


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## Maris Crane (May 20, 2011)

> Thank you Maris Crane! So many product brands that I've yet to hear of! I thought I researched the majority of brands targeted for sensitive/red skin! Again, Thank You! I'm eager to try the Thermal Spring Water Spray and the Cicalfate by Avene. Both got great reviews and look promising. *Question about the Cicalfate. Do you use everyday as a cream or only as needed? *Could you use it everyday? I read from Avene's  website that it was targeted more for healing/wound care. Trial and error-exactly! So glad they offered to give me samples.


 I think if you had EXTREMELY dehydrated skin, you could. I personally, just use it after waxing (brows), wounds, and also on any blemishes that might pop up.


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## Maris Crane (May 20, 2011)

> The water spray is good, you can also get LRP, both are thermal waters so it's up to you which one you like. Typically, at home, my mother has Avene, and i have LRP or Bioderma. I also agree about the gentle exfoliating scrub from Avene. My mother had the anti redness line until recently as she has rosacea, but they weren't doing anything on the long term for her. She tried Crealine samples, she didn't have a reaction per se, but her skin felt uncomfortable after trying the samples so she didn't buy anything from that line.
> 
> From La Roche Posay, i tried mostly their moisturizers, Hydraphase Intense (light version mostly, i have a combination skin) which is for dehydrated skins, Effaclar when i had acne, and i tried samples of Hydreane. All of them were good for my skin, but i wanted to look elsewhere. I don't recommend their Lipikar line though, doesn't do much for dryness. I am also a dutiful user of their sunscreen line as i've found that's the best for my skin.
> 
> *I also tried the Rosaliac makeup remover in a pump bottle (it's a gel), i'm not sure it's still sold, it was good overall *but i did get a separate remover for the eyes. It may be going off topic but just in case, LRP's shampoo is good, but nothing extraordinary and in my country i thought this so-so result didn't justify its price.


 I wonder if they stillt have this, or if it's sold here. I know they have a Rosaliac micelle solution, but... eh. OT, again, but I'm quite a fan of the Toleraine makeup removing one.


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## magosienne (May 21, 2011)

It's not sold anymore in France, but you might still find this. You also have the makeup removing water from LRP, it's good but if you wear heavy eye makeup like i do, you will have to add some oil.


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